Antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from skin lesions in children. A retrospective analysis from a tertiary care Italian pediatric hospital

J Chemother. 2021 Oct;33(6):361-364. doi: 10.1080/1120009X.2020.1852832. Epub 2020 Dec 4.

Abstract

Antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus was retrospectively assessed in 1833 strains isolated from skin lesions observed in an Italian tertiary care hospital. Methicillin resistance was more frequent in outpatients than in inpatients (18% vs. 14%, p = 0.04) as well as resistance to cotrimoxazole (8% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001). Resistance to ampicillin was 99% in both groups, while for clindamycin it was 11% and 14%, respectively. Among topical antibiotics fusidic acid showed the better resistance profile (3%). Antibiotic resistance in pediatric skin infection in outpatients could represent a therapeutic problem in Italy.

Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic resistance; pediatrics; skin infection; topical antibiotics.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Hospitals, Pediatric
  • Humans
  • Inpatients / statistics & numerical data
  • Italy
  • Methicillin Resistance / drug effects
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Outpatients / statistics & numerical data
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Skin Diseases, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Tertiary Healthcare

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents